The European Commission and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) launched a joint platform today to help high-speed broadband reach all European regions, including rural and sparsely populated areas where there is not enough market-driven development. The first meeting of the Broadband Platform took place in Brussels in the presence of the Digital Economy and Society Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, CoR President Karl-Heinz Lambertz and local and regional politicians from EU member states.
The new platform aims to contribute to the deployment of faster, better and sustainable high-speed broadband in all European regions, working towards eliminating the digital divide due to geographical location or market failure. Topics discussed included governance, policy and technology choices, regulatory framework and financial opportunities. In the inaugural meeting, there was particular focus on the WiFi4EU initiative which aims to provide free wireless connectivity in public spaces everywhere in Europe.